The same people who freak out when you compare PED cheats to spitballers, bat-corkers and amphetamine poppers are increasingly comparing gambling on baseball to PED use and absolving the gamblers. Because that makes sense. Here’s Frank DeFord who, after talking about how great Ichiro Suzuki is and how awesome Cooperstown will be the day he is inducted, argues that Pete Rose should go in on the same day:

It would also be so appropriate at that time for baseball to finally show some mercy to Pete Rose and let him enter the shrine with Suzuki. The drug cheats have put Rose’s offense in perspective. He did not damage baseball one iota as a player, and his misdeed as a manager now appears as small beer alongside how those druggies dishonored the game, distorted history and robbed their fellow players.

As I’ve said 100 times, I think Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. But I have no idea how that decision depends on there being allegedly worse cheaters coming along later. There is no relation between the PED guys and Rose. They have nothing to do with one another. Unless of course you wanna let Bonds, Clemens, Manny, A-Rod and McGwire in if, some day, another ballplayer murders someone. Then at least you’d be consistent I suppose.

Knock off the relativism already, will ya? Or at least be fair about it. If we’re going to compare the severity of offenses against baseball, include them all and acknowledge that PEDs isn’t the worst thing that ever happened.